Monday, December 31, 2012

I've found a danger to blogging a lot----someone might like what I've chatted about casually and then want me to turn it into an APA style manuscript. Yep!!! That's happened! My little ramblings about Google forms have been converted to a formal paper, and are about ready to be submitted electronically to the scholarly folds of ASHA for a peer review and heavy edit.

I've learned quite a bit from this:

1. What is APA style? The last time I wrote a research paper, I used a typewriter--it was at least an electric typewriter. (Hey, I'm not THAT old!) Regardless, writing a paper and submitting it so it looks similar to what I see in my professional journals is a bit of a learning curve. Fonts didn't really exist in my world back then. I've never written an 'abstract' or worried about including 'table titles' or website references. I've spent more than a few hours over the holidays learning about fonts, double spacing, and citations. (I feel I'm a more than competent speech pathologist---but my job descriptions since graduation in 1984 haven't really included this.)

2. What is a SIG---otherwise known as 'Special Interest Group' in the ASHA world? I've never fronted the money but apparently each SIG has scholarly publications that the members (who pay $35 a year) can read and get C.E.Us. I'm hopefully going to be published in one of those, although I may not be able to read my own published article since I'm not a member of this group. Maybe I'm not as poor as I think I am. Perhaps, I'll turn over a new leaf now, and join a SIG---the one focusing on school-based issues now has me intrigued! I'll keep you posted about this.

3. What is peer review? I actually already knew about this, but it's a bit intimidating to submit something I've written to be edited and reviewed by people I don't know. Right now, I'm using my 22-year-old daughter as my editor, but we think alike and readily critique each other all time about lots of things. The part about complete strangers reviewing my paper (that I don't know how to write) is daunting to even consider. I'm sure that the reality is there will only be a couple of people on a computer that will edit my masterpiece, but my fantasy is that a large group will be earnestly talking about what I wrote. Ha Ha!

So, writing a formal paper is outside of my comfort zone. Why did I agree to this? Possibly, I was flattered that anyone even asked. Possibly, I never say 'no' to anything. I need a ready-made script or a social story in this area.

What's done is done---I said 'yes' and this has been great, albeit painful practice, and I'm sure that I'll have a bit more editing to do. I'll let my readers know on how this challenge turns out.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

There are no snowflakes in Chapel Hill even though I wish longingly for them! Before moving here, I lived in northeast Ohio, and I've forgotten how dreary that area was in the winter. Here in North Carolina, snow is a treat! A few flakes and......school is cancelled, the news becomes 24 hour coverage of the 'storm', and the grocery stores completely run out of milk and bread. Please.......I want snow! I like a little excitement!

While I waited for the (nowhere to be seen) blizzard, I made you all a book. It's similar in theme to my other little Boardmaker books, so it'll be easier for the kids who have learned the familiar pattern. I guess for those who need artic activities you can see that 'snowflakes' has two consonant blends plus the plural ending! There is also an expectation that they will use the words 'on' and 'under' correctly. You can take care of many of your goals in one activity!!! I wish speech therapy was really that easy. As we all know, the reality is that for goals to be mastered, the child has to use the targeted language and articulation skills in multiple contexts. Anyway, here it is in one context! Have fun!

Friday, December 28, 2012

When I went gluten-free, I really missed pasta. My kids love lasagna, and I wanted to keep making it. I'm not a gourmet Italian cook, so during my wheat-eating days, I would open a jar of Ragu, and layer that with noodles, cheeses, and sauce (the sauce being cooked Italian sausage, onion, garlic, green pepper and Ragu or whatever was on sale that week). The kids loved it, and so I needed to find a lasagna noodle that would work.

After moaning about my lasagna-less life for a year, I discovered a gluten-free box of lasagna noodles at a local Whole Foods. I then ordered a whole case of them from Amazon, and my lasagna days were back! I cook batches of lasagna for my lunches (I divide it all up into Tupperware containers) and when the kids are home, I cook for them. I order by the case, and now I'm very happy again. My kids are too! Although they are now adults, they still come home and gobble this up.

If you need a recipe and you don't want to spend a lot of time, go to any easy website and assemble some ingredients. Here's an example.

Just a tip---the noodles don't hold up quite as well, so don't boil them as long.

Chapter 4: Several of you have responded to the 'Paying it Forward' offer!!! I chose this project from the responses and it involves building on what I already know. A reader wanted a variety of tools to use with middle schoolers who need to learn concepts from Michelle Garcia Winner's curriculum. Although the reader mentioned about six social thinking concepts, I decided to focus on one----the big problem, little problem concept. If you read Chapter 1 above, you will know what this is referring to. The tricky part is to gear the materials for older students---less Boardmaker, and no child-like cartoons.

My reader wrote: "I am getting a bit discouraged. I purchase materials that are posted as being appropriate for middle school students (from TPT). Then I look @ them and they are really geared toward a WAY lower group of abilities."

title page

My offer to my reader is to suggest that the students help make a customized problem meter book, complete with photos of them showing different degrees of emotions, and with their own written examples of which of their real life problems match the numbers on the problem meter scale. It's a bit labor intensive, but the end result is a book they can refer back to, read to their parents and teachers, and build on.
If the students can write, they can write in their own examples, If they can draw, they can illustrate. If they need to, they can dictate. SLPs or teachers can help find images for the student examples to illustrate, if drawing is not an option. This can be done in a small classroom with the kids, or one-on-one. You may need to have a digital camera and know how to insert pictures into Google docs. Let me know if you need a tutorial.

My example---you and your student customize the template

My example---you and your student customize the template

For social thinking materials, I find that more personalized, and more interactive for kids works best (even if it does take more time). There is nothing wrong with taking a month to work on this (my opinion).

I am on vacation right now, but will try this out on my kids in January.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

I've been hinted at that the "Bears Unit" starts in January. On one hand, January is soooo far away, but wait! We basically have only one week of Christmas break, so it's actually right around the wintry corner. So for my friend over at a neighboring elementary school, here is the cutest little bear book ever. A very lovely unknown person created it here on Tarheel Reader; I then put it into Google Drive, and added a page of icons and a sentence strip. I also changed out some of the pictures if they were labeled 'all rights reserved' for sharable images. All images in the book are attributed to the photographer though links.

What I like about it:

the cute little stuffed bears, of course!

the patterned sentence starter, with a little twist at the end

the vocabulary

the photographs

If you are doing a bear unit, you can't go wrong here. Print, cut up and velcro the icons, use the sentence strips, and act it all out with your stuffed bears!

Monday, December 17, 2012

I've been working a lot with my kids using the vocabulary 'Expected' and 'Unexpected' behavior. This book, How do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas?, clearly illustrates those concepts! You can use this book or others in the series all year round!

The book starts off by the dinosaur exhibiting clearly unexpected behaviors. It ends with him acting perfectly. Very simple and clear.

still unexpected!

At last--Expected!

For those of you in schools, have a good final few days before the holiday. Enjoy the kids. Today, my heart was heavy and I tried to find something heartfelt or meaningful to insert here, but instead dissolved into tears, so for now, carry on, keep a smile on your face, and know that good people are everywhere.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

One of my favorite blogs is Film English. This blogger writes about once a week---imbedding a short film, usually with no words, along with a lesson plan for teachers. Here is his blurb:"I’m Kieran Donaghy, an English teacher at UAB Idiomes Barcelona
, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, and I set up Film English in March
2010. Film English is a site which promotes the use of film in the
language classroom. There are lesson plans, a film language glossary and
film links to help both teachers and students."I look forward to his postings--if nothing else, I like to watch the shorts. Today, I looked at his latest post and saw that this could be applied to my upper elementary crowd.

Telling or writing a narrative

Interpreting facial expressions

Using prepositions to tell where the snowman went

Comparing snowpeople

Discussing narrative elements---characters, setting, obstacles

If you really want to be ambitious, take a screen shot of various scenes, print them out, and have your students supply the dialogue. Use post-it notes and write the dialogue (or speech bubbles) with your students to create a short book.

I'm sure there are many other uses. Even if you don't use this in your teaching, sit back and enjoy the film. If you like it, hop on over to Film English for more.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

I've spent a lot of time this year on social skills. Lucky me, a couple of years ago, Ephesus was awarded a grant for loads of social skills materials, so teachers and I have been teaching with SuperFlex and Think Social! In addition, I had the opportunity to attend the ASHA convention and listen to Michelle Garcia Winner live twice! They were the best two seminars ever!

My kids have all responded wonderfully, but need repetition, so I casually have been on the search for good but inexpensive materials to supplement our existing lessons. When I saw this blog, my interest perked up, and I went to the Teachers Pay Teachers store listed in the post---and for the first time actually bought an item from there.......a large social skills unit (51 pages!) which incorporates the same vocabulary as Think Social! I used it today and the kids loved the first game (there are several). We've only just begun. Cheri at If I Only Had Superpowers is incredibly talented. This packet was a mere $5.00--more like a small token than anything.

Since I've used it only this week, I only have pictures of the first activity---children play a board game, and pick cards describing expected or unexpected behaviors. In addition, the children can decide if the behavior is about respect or responsibility. The characters on the posters are all super heroes, the graphics are great, the language clear and simple, and adults liked it too! I can't wait until the next lesson. The best part was how it all tied in with our existing curriculum, vocabulary, and expectations.

Board game fun, cards, categorizing behaviors

close up of game materials

motivating posters--each super hero has his own special social powers

I'll write more about this unit as we progress through it. I also like the fact that I can let my resource teacher keep this in her room to use again with the same children. Repetition, repetition, repetition.....that's what my kids need.

If you want to purchase it, go here. It's not my unit, and no one asked me to write about it. Believe me when I tell you it's good, and the price is right.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Quite a few years ago, I had a fabulous graduate student who developed a
Feelings Book project for the kids she worked with. I have used her
template and ideas ever since! She started the unit by reading The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
with the kids. She sent home a parent questionnaire to fill out, so
they could provide input as to what made their child feel certain ways.
Then, each day they met in speech, she targeted a different feeling and
custom made a book. Home input helped, but she also talked with the
students and helped each one identify feelings in specific situations.
This was a long term project, but the end result was a treasure that the
children read to their class, and took home.

Cover page sample

screen shot of the 'happy' page

screenshot of the scared page

I have uploaded a template for this book with most of the pictures delected except the feelings icons. If you know how to insert images and text boxes, you are good to go here.

You can insert your own images---use Google or photos if you don't have Boardmaker, or have your child draw a few!

This blogger, Katie Yeh, is a little similar to me in that she is a speech pathologist, and also writes about her own life experiences (I guess most people do have a life outside of their job!). I love what she writes, but also really like what she shares in the way of materials. This day, the shared item is a Rudolph story--patterned after the Very Hungry Caterpillar. (Remember what I wrote earlier about Joint Action Routines? In this case, most children in special education are very familiar with Eric Carle and his book about the caterpillar. The kids can then use the knowledge of the pattern of the story, and apply it to Rudolph.) Alas, she used to have a book to go along with the Smartboard activity below, but she has taken it off her website :( So all I have to offer now is the Smartboard activity below (no companion book.)

What I really want to say for those Smartboard users out there is that I created a Smartboard counting activity to go with this (missing) book. It's very, very simple---mainly touching and dragging. I plan to use this with my youngest kids, and the end frame is a link to a music video (Rudolph), so it will be good---very easy and hopefully engaging. (My students sometimes struggle with engagement.)
Here are some screenshots from the Smartboard activity:

It's not too late for all of your kidos to get in the fun, too! Hanukkah doesn't end until December 16th! See below for link to the Step by Step Play Dough menorah instructions and for the dreidel game rules.

I developed the menorah activity myself (and am proud of it!). The dreidel activity was lifted from Boardmaker Share. but I also converted it to pdf. We used poker chips instead of chocolate for the game, and the kids had a great time. I want to extend a special thanks to Meredith Simon-Ross for leading this activity!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Chapel Hill Snippets is glad to have Guest Blogger: Ashley Robinson once again!

I have a question for all the school based related service
providers and assistive technology professionals:Have you ever struggled to explain your role
in a student's education to a parent or teacher? As a speech-language
pathologist at a middle and high school, I see many students who have received
speech-language as a related service since preschool. In many cases I wonder if
the role of the related service professional has been explained to the team.
So, I came up with my own explanation.

A student who qualifies for special education services
cannot access the curriculum (in most cases the Common Core).

The IEP is the bridge to the curriculum. It should address
the skills that the student needs so that he can follow the Common Core. For
example, there is a sixth grade boy who struggles with written expression.Instead of writing a goal that states “Boy
will write on grade level,” think about what is keeping this student from
writing on grade level. Perhaps this student is not using complex sentences
or is using ambiguous pronoun references.

The IEP team will work together to review data on a child
and determine the needs of a particular student. In this case, the
student does NOT require any related service support, so the special education
teacher is the one building the bridge. Another possibility is that the team
may find that a speech-language impairment is the primary disability holding
the child back, and the SLP will be in charge of building that bridge. In
either case, additional related service support is not needed.

In my experience though, most students have a disability
(think ADHD or specific learning disability) and language disorders (or sensory
issues, or assistive tech issues....) are a part of that disability and require
related service support to access the IEP.The bridge cannot be built straight
across - there needs to be a ramp.

This is how our lead SLP explained it to us, “If you take
away the student's primary disability (e.g., ADHD), would they still have a
language disorder?” This is a clinical judgement question for each student;
however, I've found the answer to be “probably not.” Thus, speech-language is a
related service.

Because I'm an SLP, I am going to use speech-language
services as my example; however, this analogy applies to OT, PT, and Assistive
Technology (at least with the model we work under in my school system).

Once the team determines that speech-language services are
needed to address a goal (stay tuned for a future post on this), then the
question is – what is the role of the SLP as a related service support
provider? Here's what I think:

Related service is the RAMP to get on the bridge (i.e., the
IEP). What language skills does the student require to even get on the
bridge? Again, goals or objectives should be developed to address a
student's language needs that are impeding him from accessing the IEP (e.g.,
explicit instruction in pronoun use or sentence construction). Once the student
has mastered these skills, and is on the bridge, then the special education
teacher is the one to continue moving forward to build the bridge. Speech-language services are no longer
necessary.

Goals should address the needs of the student, and with each year, the student will (hopefully) close the gap until he or she is working on the curriculum (YAY!!). Some students will never have a bridge that stretches all of the say across; however, it is important that goals are systematic and are bringing that student as far as possible each year.

I'm curious to know what you think. How do you see the role of the related service professional in the school? Feel free to contact me with your thoughts and questions!

Ashley Robinson, MS, CCC-SLP and AT professional
arobinson@chccs.k12.nc.us

Ashley's Bio:

I'll introduce myself: My name is Ashley Robinson and I am in my
second year serving as a speech language pathologist and assistive
technology professional in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools. Ruth
Morgan (http://chapelhillsnippets.blogspot.com) was my AMAZING CF supervisor last year and Jim Tignor (http://shinobijimbo.blogspot.com)
helps me to navigate the AT waters. They are the best mentors anyone
could ask for and I am so lucky to have them. I am a PATH International
certified therapeutic horseback riding instructor at NC Therapeutic Riding Center
and I plan to pursue certification as a professional that practices
hippotherapy. I'm passionate about both of my jobs- especially the
possibility of combining technology and horses! When I'm not working,
I'm usually thinking about work or enjoying NC.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Although the title of this post makes it appear as though this will be a tangential blog about the healthcare part of my field, this posting is a bit different. I'm writing about school-based speech pathologists being pressured by IEP teams, parents, or physicians into providing services against the SLP's better judgement.

Here are a couple of scenarios that have actually come up in my school:

A child in first grade can not articulate his 'r' sounds. According
to developmental charts, this is not atypical for his age. Parents and
the teacher feel he needs speech therapy, but the SLP feels that he
does not have a disability.

A 5th grade child is in an EC classroom with ability, achievement,
and language scores are all delayed more than 2 standard deviations.
His social skills are a strength. He receives his academic instruction
in the EC classroom. The SLP, after an assessment and observation,
feels he does not need speech and language services to access his
special education. His parents feel he needs speech services to 'catch
up'.

Further reading into this reveals that "prescription is often used solely as a request
for the initiation or continuation of speech-language pathology and/or
audiology services. When that is the case, prescription may be regarded as synonymous with referral, and it is a useful instrument in the total treatment program for a client."

"Prescription" does not need to come from a doctor, but can also include a request from an IEP team.

According to the ASHA code of ethics, if the IEP team (without the SLP) determines that the child needs speech therapy, the SLP is bound to use professional independent judgement as to whether the child, in fact, should receive speech.

My lead SLP has instructed all of the school system's speech pathologists that in the case where an IEP team signs off on speech services overriding the SLP's clinical judgement, the SLP can not ethically provide services for the child.

The moral of this story is:
a. The SLP needs to carefully assess a child.
b. The SLP needs to make a clinically sound determination as to whether the child is eligible for speech. (If the SLP is unsure, a peer review team can help, or consultation with other district SLPs will assist in making an independent decision.)
c. The SLP needs to communicate his or her findings to the parents and the IEP team.
d. The SLP ethically can not 'cave in' to outside pressure. (This is the hard step.)

For new speech pathologists, this is the hardest part of the job. After 21 years in a school, I think I have it pretty much mastered.....but it's still a bumpy road, and sometimes, it's still hard to go to those difficult meetings without melting inside.